John h



iran sTAgis PigTENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. MORSE, OF PEORIA., ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LESTER PATEE, OF

SAME PLACE.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,8115, dated March 30, 18158.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Jol-IN H. MORSE, of the city and county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks Designed More Particularly for Safes, Bank-Vault Doors, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a view of the interior of thelock with the front plate and revolving-indicator plates removed. Fig. 8 is a view of the back of the lock. Fig. t is a sectional view, cutting through center of the lock, as indicated by red dotted line, running Afrom z to e, in Fig. 2. j

The same letters of reference indicate like parts.

A, is a bar, with its projections E, E, E, and lugs K, K.

B, B, B, are circular plates with deep slots G, G, G, blind or shallow slots z', z', i, and set holes h, h, 71 having notches on outer rim for receiving click springs m, m, m, secured on arbors C, C, C, in connection with revolving indicator plates M, M, M (see Fig. 1) and set plates O, O, O, (see Fig. 3.)

D is the bolt, with its slots N N, N N for receiving lugs K K which hold the bolt from being thrown back or forward before the bar A is raised to the position indicated by red dotted lines in Fig. 2.

J is an arbor (on which a knob may be aflixed or key inserted) with its arms t, t', for the purpose of raising the bar A, and throwing or withdrawing the bolt.

L, L, L, L, is outer rim of the lock.

P, P, P(see Fig. 3) are set screws passing through set plates O, O, O, into holes 7L, L, h, in slotted plates B, B B, for the purpose of changing combination.

g, g, g, are holes passing through plates O, O, O, for finding combination 1n casejit may be lost in making a change of combination.

In operating the lock, the nicks in the indicator plates M M M, must be turned to figures 1, 1, 1, on the dial plate (see Fig. 1,) (this being the combination o n which the lock is now set.) Turning the indicator plate to this position brings the slots G, G, G, in plates B, B, B, directly over the projections E, E, E, on bar A. Then by turning the arbor J in the direction indicated by arrow, the short arm t lifts the bar A, raising its lugs K, K, out of the slots N, N, in the bolt, thus releasing it. Then the long arm t', takes effect and throws the bolt. In the act of throwing the bolt, the short arm t is released from its bearing on the bar A, which allows the springs f f, to take effect andforce the bar back so that its lugs K, K, enter the slots N N in the bolt and secure it. The bolt being thrown and 'secured as described, one or more of the revolving indicator plates should be turned, so as to remove the slots G from over the lprojections E, 'which will prevent the possibility of again lifting the lugs K, K, from their position in the bolt until the revolving indicator plates are again set to the figures on which the combination is made up.

To prevent any person from acquiring a knowledge of the combination on which the lock is set, I provide the circular plates B, B, B, with shallow or blind slots z' z' z', made to receive the points of projections E, E, E, so that when force is applied to the arbor J, as in the act of withdrawing the bolt, the points of projections E, E, E, enter the blind slots z z' z' and hold the plates B, B, B, in position so that none of them can be turned until the arbor J is again released. It will readily be seen that if the plates B, B, B, were allowed to re- -volve while the projections E, E, E, were being pressed against them the operator could, by carefully revolving the indicator plates M, M, M, determine by feeling when the slots G, G, G, were over the projections E, E, E, as the friction would instantly diminish when the slot G is brought direct-ly over the projection E, thereby enabling any person, with a little skill and perseverance, tov determine the combination on which the lock is set and withdraw the bolt, as has been done with other locks of a similar character now extensively in use.

That part of arbor C, on which indicator plate M, and set. plate O, is secured is square, while the part on which plate B, is secured, is round. Thus it will be seen that plates M, and O, may be made to revolve without turning plate B, but to secure the revolution of this plate with the others I insert a set screw P, (see Fig. 4) which secures the plates, B, and O, to* gether.

In order to change the present combination or mental key and secure a new one, bring the nicks on revolving indicator plates to figures 1, 1, 1, (present combination,) which brings slots G, G, G, directly over projections E, E, E. Withdraw set screws P, P, P, and the plates B, B, B, are held in this position by click springs m, m, m1, until the nicks in revolving indicator plates are turned to the figures on the dial pla-te designed to be used in the new combination, insert the set screws again, and the lock is in working order on the desired new combination.

In case the combination should be lost, as can only be done when the set screws are out, in making a change, insert a small wire in hole g (see Fig. 3) in set plate O, and revolve the indicator plate M, until. the slot G, is found, (which may be known by the wire entering it,) then revolve indicator plate until the hole g is brought down to s, (see Fig. 3) and insert the set screw. Re peat the operation until all of the set screws are in their places, and the combination may be found by referring to the indicator plates.

I do not claim the arrangement by which a change of combination or mental key is produced; neither do I claim the arrangement for finding the combination in case it should be lost in making a change; but,

I claim as vmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

The blind or shallow slots, z' 7,' i, or their equivalents, in the circular plates B, B, B, made and arranged so as to receive the points of projections E, E, E, on the bar A, acting in the manner and for the purpose specified.

' JNO. H. MORSE.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. LowRY, PHILO HOLLAND. 

